


Sharks: Illuminati Confirmed

by yeralizardwaverly



Series: Wayhaught Crack AUs [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Crack AU, F/F, aquarium, poor nicole thought she was gonna have another normal day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9213440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeralizardwaverly/pseuds/yeralizardwaverly
Summary: The infamous Shark AUorThe one where Nicole works at an aquarium and Waverly doesn't believe in sharks





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SuspEgg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuspEgg/gifts).



It's a slow day at the aquarium. So far, the Earp sisters have only seen about three other people inside the building. Wynonna's more than a little grateful, at least now if something goes wrong--which, let's be honest, it normally does when the two sisters are involved--there won't be as big of a scene.  Waverly doesn't seem to notice or care as she drags Wynonna into yet another section of the aquarium, chattering excitedly about sea otters. Wynonna rolls her eyes, only half listening as she surveys the rooms around them.

"--hold each others hands while they sleep so they don't float away," Waverly squeals. She runs up to the window, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. One of the otters swims up to the glass and pokes its head out of the water, eyeing Waverly as it bobs up and down. 

"I think he likes you," a red-haired girl in a light blue aquarium shirt smiles at the youngest Earp. 

"Yeah?" Waverly's smile grows even wider.

"Trust me. It's very impressive considering Bobo hardly likes anybody." She places her hand up to the glass, and as if to prove her point, the little otter quickly swims away. 

Waverly pouts, watching as the animal disappears into a part of the tank hidden from their view. "Can we go look at something else now?" Wynonna asks, eyeing the sign for the temporary seahorse exhibit. "They just had babies y'know," the redhead says, nodding towards the entrance, "Tiny little things. No bigger than a quarter. We had to take them out of the tanks and count them, but I could take you into the back to have a look."

"Seriously? You can do that?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to, but my boss is out on break for the next hour. So, feel like getting a backstage tour?"

"Hell yeah. I'm Wynonna by the way. And that's my sister Waverly."

"I'm Nicole," she points at her name tag, "Nicole Haught."

* * *

"So what's your favorite animal here?" Wynonna asks, "You kind of strike me as an octopus gal. But maybe it's just because your hair is the same color as them."

"Wynonna," Waverly chides, smacking her sister’s arm.

Nicole laughs, "It's fine Waverly. She has a point. And I do like octopi, but my favorite are the sharks."

Wynonna snorts, quickly trying to cover it up with a bout of fake coughing as Waverly glares at her. Nicole stares bemusedly between the two. 

"Is there something I'm missing?" the redhead asks. 

"No," Waverly quickly answers.

"It's just that Waverly and sharks don't really go together," Wynonna says.

"Are you scared of 'em or something?" Nicole asks.

"Hard to be scared of something you don't believe in," Wynonna grins, ignoring the murderous look her younger sister sends her.

"I don't think I follow." 

"I don't believe in sharks okay," Waverly snaps.

"Like you don't believe in them emotionally?"

"I don't believe they exist."

"Oh," Nicole's brow furrows.  _ "Oh." _

"It's not that weird."

Nicole remains silent, still trying to completely process the new bit of information. How Waverly could possibly reject the notion of the existence of sharks was beyond her. After all there were some in the aquarium just a few rooms away. Not to mention the small ones in the petting tank. You could literally reach out and touch them if you wanted to. 

"Reach out and touch them....."

"What was that?" Waverly asks, leaning in to catch what Nicole's mumbling about.

"Come with me." Nicole takes them to a section on the bottom floor, close to the exit of the aquarium. A hallway lined on two sides with giant tanks leads to a semi-large room. A shallow touch pool fills most of the space; only about 5 feet between its sides and the walls. 

"There," Nicole crosses her arms, looking (and feeling) mighty pleased with herself. "Sharks."

Waverly smiles, stepping up to the edge of the pool and dipping her hand inside. She stretches towards a small tiger shark, but it darts just out of her reach before she can touch it. A friendly little ray takes its place instead, pressing up against Waverly's outstretched hand. She laughs, a sound that makes Nicole's heart skip a beat. Waverly's fingers gently skim over the smooth skin of the ray, attracting attention from three others that swim up to her excitedly. They bump against her, all wanting the same attention. 

Nicole watches from a few feet away, too caught up in Waverly's easy smile to care about whether the girl's strange shark beliefs have changed. 

"I need more hands," Waverly whines, trying to please all four animals that have come up to her. Her gaze turns to Nicole, eyes wide and pleading. 

"Alright alright, I'm coming," Nicole steps up to the pool. She sticks her hands into the water, gently petting the two rays that Waverly isn't. They push against her palms happily, floating just a few inches below the surface. Their skin feels like slick wood, and Nicole tries her best to keep her mind from wandering as she touches them. Waverly seems to be having the same problem, her eyes glazing over for a multitude of seconds before she seems to regain her composure.

It's a tossup as to who gets tired first, the girls or the stingrays. All they know is the animals move to the middle of the pool while the girls move to the bench where Wynonna is sitting. Or, where she  _ was _ sitting. A note had been left in her place, letting the girls know that she was going to check out the jellyfish. Waverly absentmindedly traces the words on the page, her newly pruned fingers following the messy scrawl that is Wynonna's handwriting. Nicole watches her for a few minutes before remembering why they were even in this section in the first place.

"Sharks!"

Waverly flinches, her surprise turning to amusement as she sees the eager look on the older girl's face. "Pardon?"

"Sharks," she repeats, pointing to the pool. "Is your previous stance still the same?”

“Oh,” Waverly pretends to consider it, “Yes. It is.”

“But….but you just touched one,” Nicole whines, pulling a laugh from the other girl.

“Actually, it got away before I could.”

“Okay, but you’ve had to have touched one of them before, right?”

Waverly shakes her head.

“How is that even possible?”

“Well I’m sorry I don’t go around touching every shark I see like you do.”

“I don’t touch every one I see!”

“Oh really?”

“Really. The last time I touched one was….ummm…..wait let me think about this….”

Waverly gently taps her arm. “Ni- _ cole _ ,” she sing-songs.

“What?” 

“Have you ever actually touched a shark?” Waverly asks.

Nicole nods her head furiously, “Of course I have! Lots of times!”

“Are you  _ sure _ ?” Waverly presses, biting back her smile.

“Well…”

“Well?” 

“Okay, fine, you got me, I’ve never touched a shark before.” Nicole hangs her head in shame.

“Sooooo, how can you tell me with 100% confidence that they exist when you’ve never actually touched one?”

“Because,” Nicole gestures towards the touch pool, “We just saw one!”

“Did we?” Waverly asks.

“Yes. And we could walk back over to that pool and see it again because it exists and it lives there.”

“Could we?” 

“Yes,” Nicole stands, pulling Waverly up with her. “Yes,” she repeats, this time adding a little nod of her head.

They walk back to the shallow tank, Nicole searching the water desperately for the little tiger shark from earlier. “Shit. Where the hell did the little bastard go?” She reaches inside, pushing some of the sand around in hopes that it’ll scare the shark out of its hiding place.

Waverly watches her for a few minutes before finally sighing and pulling away from the tank, “This is kind of sad.”

“No,” Nicole pulls her arm out, rubbing it dry on her shirt. “No, I refuse to let you continue on with this  _ slander.  _ You want to see a shark, I’ll show you a damn shark.” And with that, Nicole takes Waverly’s hand and pulls her along to another part of the aquarium.

* * *

Wynonna squints at the water behind the glass, trying to get a better look at the otter Nicole had called Bobo. He’s swimming around in the far corner, doing something that Wynonna can’t make out.

_ He’s too far. I need him to come closer. _

Wynonna taps on the glass, which catches his attention. Bobo swims over to Wynonna staring at her curiously. She smiles at him, “Hi Bobo.”

He bares his teeth at her and swims away. 

* * *

Waverly must have some sort of magic shark-repellent powers, because they don’t see a single one. Not even in the actual shark exhibit. Nicole’s so frustrated and so confused that she wants to cry. Do sharks exist? Nicole doesn’t even know anymore. But what she does know, is that if they do, she hates them. They turned their back on her in her hour of need and she hates them.

“So,” Waverly’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts, “I’m gonna call Wynonna and see where she is.”

Nicole makes a small noise of acknowledgment, still staring into the tank where the sharks  _ should _ be.

* * *

The little red ball hits the glass right in front of  Wynonna’s face. Startled, she takes a step back, quickly growing angry as Bobo swims away.

“That’s right! You better run you punk!”

Bobo throws his other toy at the glass, making a noise that Wynonna swears is the sea otter equivalent of laughter. 

“That’s it! I’m coming for you!” Wynonna’s about to find a way to climb into the tank and strangle Bobo when her phone starts ringing.

“What?!” 

_ “Wy, it’s me. Is everything alright?” _

“Hey Waverly. Everything is all good here.” She glares at Bobo, mouthing a few threats at the otter as she listens to Waverly talk.

_ “Okay. Anyway, I called to see where you are, I’m getting kind of tired. Also I think I may have broken Nicole. She’s been staring at the shark tank for the past twenty minutes and whispering threats under her breath.” _

“Oh...wow….”

_ “Yeah.” _

“Okay, well, I’m at the otter exhibit. Do you want me to walk over and meet you guys? Or did you want to come here?”

_ “Maybe it’s best if you come to us.” _

“Alright, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Wynonna hangs up the phone, giving Bobo one last glare before flipping the bird at him and making her exit.

* * *

“Hey party people,” Wynonna walks into the exhibit, smiling cheerfully at the two other girls.

“Wynonna,” Nicole walks up to her, “Please, answer me honestly, do sharks exist?”

Wynonna takes her hand, “Yes. There’s one in that tank right behind you.”

“Where?” Nicole whirls around, running to press herself against the glass. She catches sight of the hammerhead swimming around lazily near the sand. Nicole feels happiness bubbling up in her chest, and before she knows it, she’s doubled over, laughing so hard she’s crying. 

“Ummm…..Nicole,” Waverly cautiously places a hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? I’m fucking fantastic! Look!” she points to the hammerhead, wiping tears from her eyes, “Do you see that?”

Waverly nods.

“That right there is a shark,” Nicole says, beaming at the younger girl. “It’s a shark that you just admitted to seeing. So, therefore, you just admitted to believing in sharks.”

“Nicole, do you ever walk around the house at night and think you see a shadow but then you check and it ends up being nothing?”

“Here we go,” Wynonna mutters, taking a seat on one of the benches.

“Yes,” Nicole looks confused, “But I don’t see why that’s--”

“So how do you know that what we’re seeing in that tank isn’t just a trick of the light?”

Nicole’s jaw drops, and Wynonna’s sure she hears the girl’s heart shatter in her chest.

“Alright Waves,” Wynonna stands back up, “I think it’s time to go. You’ve tortured Nicole for long enough.”

“Wait!” Nicole pulls her phone out of her pocket and hands it to Waverly. “This isn’t over. Me and you, cage diving on Saturday, sound good?”

Waverly adds herself as a new contact and hands it back to Nicole, “It’s a date.”

* * *

The sky has just started to turn pink when Nicole finally processes the events of that day.

“Oh my god,” she almost drops the bucket of fish she’s holding as a single thought comes spinning through her head.

_ I work at an aquarium, and I’m going on a date with a girl who doesn’t believe in sharks. _


End file.
